In early December 2025, HRAG co-founder and chair David Matas spoke at a forum on transnational repression at Toronto City Hall. He recounted his own experience as a target of transnational repression at the hands of the Government of China. Matas detailed various incidents occurring around the world – including Israel, Canada, the United States, Australia, and Singapore – over more than two decades exposing the country’s practice of forced organ harvesting of prisoners of conscience.

Matas concluded his remarks by highlighting the fact that reach of Chinese transnational repression extends beyond Chinese people–

“[T]hese are my personal experiences. Obviously I am not Chinese and have no connection with China except for the investigation of forced organ harvesting and other anti-discrimination activities. This is not an effort to control the Chinese, but an effort to control speech about China, regardless of who the speaker is.”

A transcript of the speech can be accessed in its entirety here.